Hughes vows to ape Sehwag at Perth

Perth, Dec 15: Opening batsman Phil Hughes has said he is ready to be Australia's version of India's explosive batsman Virender Sehwag as his team looks to revive their Ashes campaign in the third Test, starting in Perth on Thursday. Hughes has been summoned to replace injured Simon Katich for the third Test.

"I love watching Sehwag play, without a doubt he comes to my mind straightaway as an opening batsman," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Hughes, as saying. "He's very aggressive, but what Sehwag can do is he can take a game away from any opposition, either in Indian conditions or all around the world, and he's just fantastic to watch."

"That's how I've always played, I've been quite aggressive, especially the last few years and that's my natural game and something I'm not going to change over the next few years," he added.

Hughes will have to apparently up his game to match the level of Sehwag. While Sehwag's strike rate is above 82 in Test, Hughes' lies at 61.62. However, their averages are comparable with Sehwag's at over 55 to Hughes' 51.25.

The 22-year-old Hughes was dropped from the Test side during last year's Ashes series, when English bowlers had successfully exposed his discomfort to short-balls. However, he now claims that the tourists lack the "X-factor" that former all-rounder Andrew Flintoff provided during last year's triumphant series in England.

"I think there are weaknesses there that we can exploit, definitely. They're going to come out firing and they did in the Ashes series last year as well, but then they had Flintoff, who was their X-factor bowler so he was outstanding in that series and he bowled beautifully," Hughes said. "Anything that's been said over the past two years by media, coaches or anything, that's all gone, it's what happens out on the field."